Groundbreaking new developments in HIV prevention

Over the course of the past year, several new and exciting advancements have been made in the realm of HIV prevention, particularly in the form of microbicides, “a new type of product being developed that people could use vaginally or rectally to protect themselves from HIV and possibly other sexually transmitted infections.” In a recent New York Times article, “New Lines of Attack in H.I.V. Prevention,” Donald G. McNeil Jr. highlights the importance of various microbicides that are being developed and even tested. The article primarily focuses on a vaginal gel to be used topically and prior to infection; however, it also describes other forms of microbicides, including a rectal version of the gel and a long-lasting vaginal ring. According to McNeil, the vaginal gel could be available on the market as early as 2013.

Currently, prevention efforts often focus on promoting the use of condoms or abstinence, both of which may not be a viable option for many women and men. A document put forth by Acción Mutua, a program of AIDS Project Los Angeles, explains:

Many women do not have the social or economic power necessary to insist on condom use and fidelity or to abandon relationships that put them at risk [for HIV infection]. Because microbicides would not require a partner’s cooperation, they would put the power to protect into women’s hands.

Even if microbicides [are] theoretically less efficacious than condoms, they may be more effective in prevention of STIs due to greater acceptance and usage. In other words, microbicides could have a greater overall protective effect in practice than condoms because they might be used more often and more consistently. In fact, researchers developed a mathematical model that shows that if even a small proportion of women in developing countries used a 60% efficacious microbicide in half the sexual encounters where condoms are not used, 2.5 million HIV infections could be averted over 3 years.

These numbers alone are quite staggering. Clearly, the development of safe and effective microbicides would play a pivotal role in efforts to prevent the spread HIV.